Only just a few votes separated the 2 UFC 324 headliners.
Paddy Pimblett and Justin Gaethje headline UFC 324 on Saturday, as they begin the promotion’s recent era on Paramount+ with a clash for the newly created interim lightweight title.
The pair are vying for that gold ahead of an expected unification fight down the road with the currently absent Ilia Topuria, who’s taking a hiatus initially of 2026 to cope with personal issues.
‘The Baddy’ will enter the Octagon because the betting favorite to emerge victorious from the UFC 324 major event. But do the fans agree with that status?
Well, if over 2,000 Bloody Elbow readers are anything to go by, only just…
- THROWBACK: UFC 324 star fought with ‘life-or-death’ medical condition to record rare result on GOAT’s undercard
Is the UFC 324 major event a mistmatch?
One TalkingPoints user thinks Justin Gaethje will run through Paddy Pimblett.
Paddy Pimblett narrowly takes fan vote on who will win the UFC 324 major event
MMA fans have been voting in a poll as a part of TalkingPoints on Bloody Elbow. Readers had their say when asked to provide their pick for who will turn out to be interim UFC lightweight champion at Saturday’s numbered event.
2,133 fans gave their predictions for the primary headliner of 2026, and only 119 votes separated the 2 lightweight stars.
Pimblett and Gaethje finished with just five percent between them. The sting ultimately went the best way of ‘The Baddy’, who collected 52.79 percent of the vote share.
| UFC 324 headliner | Percentage of the Bloody Elbow fan vote |
| Paddy Pimblett | 52.79% (1,126 votes) |
| Justin Gaethje | 47.21% (1,007 votes) |
With fans struggling to definitively select who will walk away with the interim gold of their possession, Saturday’s major event guarantees to be an enthralling and unpredictable affair in ‘Sin City’.
- LATEST NEWS: Paddy Pimblett noticed something that could possibly be key at UFC 324 during face-off with Justin Gaethje
Alexander Volkanovski or Diego Lopes? Predict the UFC 325 major event winner
Fans can become involved in the subsequent Bloody Elbow poll and have their say on who will win the championship major event on January 31.
After the fight between Pimblett and Gaethje kicks off the yr at UFC 324, the leading promotion in MMA will return to Australia to stage UFC 325 in Sydney only one week later.
Topping the lineup at Qudos Bank Arena will probably be the controversial rematch between Alexander Volkanovski and Diego Lopes for the two-time featherweight champion’s title.
Who’re you backing to emerge victorious from the UFC 325 headliner?
Who wins when Alexander Volkanovski and Diego Lopes rematch?
Join the talk; share your insight. Use the comment button on the underside left to have your say
Before Volkanovski and Lopes renew hostilities within the major event, the likes of Dan Hooker, Tai Tuivasa, and Rafael Fiziev will even return to motion Down Under.


Join the talk; share your insight. Use the comment button on the underside left to have your say